Our Promise
by KuramaIs4Me
Summary: As the world has been saved, Cloud returns to see Tifa. But as things start to heat up, nightmares happen and dreams break. How will Tifa be able to handle heartbreak as well as some other nice surprizes? Will Cloud ever come back?
1. You Came Back

Hey there everyone. I am a fan of Final Fantasy VII, just like the people who are reading this. Like many out there, I am a fan of the pairing of Cloud and Tifa. I got this idea from a RP that I was in. I am only hoping that my fans who have read my other work will like this as well. This takes place after the game but before Advent Children. Well enough of my typing, on with this Fic. Tell me if you like it.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

**You Are Back**

Tifa stood behind her recently built bar, Seventh Heaven. It had been about six months after her and a group of eight others decided to save the world. After that, she didn't know what to do; she decided to start her bar up again. Mainly because she wanted something to do to keep her mind away from a childhood friend, and working in this bar did just that. Although there were times where she wished he was there because the drunks got out of hand. Not that she couldn't take them, she packed a pretty hard punch, she just felt safer with him around. Her brown eyes looked out over the bar as she cleaned a glass. A few of her regulars were here, and also a few newcomers. At this time it wasn't to busy. She smiled at a customer who was ordering something to drink. Placing the glass down, she began to fill it.

"That will be 5 gil." she said, offering another smile.

The man placed the amount on the counter, and she gave him the drink. After taking the money, she put in a safe place where she kept her money until the end of the day. She would then take that small box and put it back in her room to make sure no one got her well earned money. Although she really didn't need the money, for she had a lot of it. All of the fights she had been in had given her enough gil to last a while. Not to mention the mastered Alls she had acquired over her journey.

A few minutes had passed, and the bar was filling up again. There were a few drunks that were hitting on her as usual. She was quite used to it by now. There wasn't anything she could really do to stop that. Since Tifa was gifted in the chest area and had a body to go along with it, she learned to deal with the people who just were pervs. It was something that she had grown accustomed to over the months that she had the place open.

She turned her back to the door to get another glass from the sink to clean. Hearing another person come through the door, she only welcomed them as she stuck her hand in the water and took out a glass. Her back was turned to them. She could hear heavy boots on the floor as they walked up to the bar.

"Give me something hard." was all that this person said. Judging by the tone, it was a male. She rolled her eyes as she turned around and looked at the man. It took a few minutes to realize that she had to answer. He didn't look up at her but she knew who it was just by the hair. Her brown eyes looked at him with wonder. It was as if she were in a dream state for a few minutes. Had he really come back?

"That's 5 gil." she said, softly.

He reached in his pocket for the money. He set it on the table and refused to look up at her. He merely ran his hand through his blonde locks that somehow were always spiked.

She nodded and finished cleaning the glass. Looking for the bottle of liquor that she just had; she grabbed the bottle and poured him a glass of it. Her brown eyes looked at him for a few seconds before she heard another customer calling for another refill. She sighed and moved towards them.

However, he looked up at her before grabbing his drink. He noticed that she hadn't taken his money, and he wondered about that. Why hadn't she? He sat there and pondered on that. Also on why he had come back here. Every so often he would look at her, watching her work with ease. His mako-infused eyes watched her carefully as she fought off the many men here who were hitting on her. She had always been pretty in his eyes, but he would never tell her that.

She looked back at him and offered a small smile. Her brown eyes connected with his for the first time, and it seemed like time froze. She stood there, forgetting about the rest of the bar and just looked at him, easily forgetting everything and only thinking about him. The reason that she had opened this bar was to forget all of these emotions she had, and now here she was falling yet again. Just one glance from this man could do this to her.

He looked down again, breaking the gaze. Every time he looked at her like that, it made his heart begin to pound. It was only her that did this to him. It had always been like this ever since they were children. He just couldn't shake the feelings he had for her. All this time they were still there. He looked at the table and tried to forget the emotions that were surfacing again.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked, now standing right in front of him.

"No, I am fine."

"Let me know if you do." she said and then started to walk away. She stopped once she heard him call her name. How she had missed his voice, his eyes, everything.

"Tifa."

"Yes." she said, looking back at him.

"May I stay here for a while?" he asked, looking up to see her face in shock.

She had not expected him to want to stay. Not that she was complaining about this at all. She looked at him and smiled a bit, happy that he wanted to spend some time with her. It came as a shock to her. He was a loner, and yet he wanted to stay. She felt as if something was wrong, but she pushed that feeling aside.

"Sure. I don't mind." she said, smiling warmly at him. "Just put your things in the back."

He nodded and stood up. Carrying his belongs to the hall, he made his way to her room. Once he entered, he looked around a bit before stepping all the way in. She had a good size bed in the corner. Across from the bed was a couch. On the other side of the room was a desk and her closet. His eyes looked at her desk as he walked closer. He set his things by the couch and walked to the desk. There wasn't much on it, just a couple of pens and some paper. Of course, there was a picture of Tifa and a blonde haired man by her side on the desk. She looked happy in that picture. It was not everyday that he saw that much happiness in her eyes. He could only smile at this.

After a while, he walked back out and sat at the bar. A hand ran through his blonde locks as he sat there watching her work with grace. He knew that coming here was going to be hard on him, but he hadn't seen her in a while. He thought that it would be nice to spend some time with her. His mako blue eyes watched her move from one person to the next.

"Oh, you came back." Tifa said, smiling at him. "Can I get you anything?"

"Not at the moment, but when you get a chance, I would like to tell you something." he said, sitting there for a few moments, before standing up.

She nodded. "Alright." she said, looking back at all of the people. She thought about closing the bar early just to spend more time with him. "Cloud?" she asked, watching he walk back to her room.

He turned his head to her. "Yeah?"

"I am glad you are back." she said, smiling warmly at him.

"For now."

"It doesn't matter. You are here now, and that's all that matters."

What was it about her words that could make him feel almost happy? Is that why he had decided to come back and see her? He didn't even know. He was so confused on everything. All he knew was that she was the only friend he ever felt comfortable with, and that is why he came back. Or so he thought. It was only one of the many reasons.

She smiled and continued to clean the bar. Telling everyone in there that it was closing hour. She knew it was early, but she didn't care. She had a guest, and a rather important one to her at that. Many of them left, and she began to clean up after all of the messy people who had been here. She could hardly wait to hear what he had to tell her.

End Chapter...

So, how do you like it so far? Tell me, so I can write more or just delete it. I know that I am going to be getting flames for pairing Cloud and Tifa. Well to those people I have one thing to say. I don't care what you think. This is my opinion, and I shall write it how I want to write. Thank you and please review. See ya


	2. Almost, But Not Quite

Hey there! I know that I didn't get many reviews, I couldn't just stop this story. Maybe more people will review one day. I can only hope that those who have read it will enjoy it. Anyways, on to the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy or any its characters.**

**Almost, But Not Quite**

Tifa leaned against the door after she had closed the bar. A sigh escaped her lips as she laid her head back against the wood. Opening her eyes, she looked at the empty bar and smiled a bit. It was quiet, and she wasn't used to that at this time of day. As her eyes scanned the place she noticed a towel on one of the tables. She stood up again and made her way to the table to take it back to the sink. Realizing that someone special was waiting for her in her room, she tossed the towel into the sink and hurried to see her childhood friend again.

As she walked by a mirror, she looked in it to make sure she looked at least halfway decent for him. It had always been like this, these past few years. Always trying to look her best for him, to hopefully catch his eye. To see if he would see her as more then just a friend. Finally, after looking in the mirror for a few minutes, she decided to move to her own room. Why was she nervous to see him again? It was like this every time she saw him now. Shaking off the feeling, she knocked on the door.

"Come in."

She took a deep breath and let it out before opening the door. There he was standing in front of her desk, looking at the picture of him and her. A small smile was on his face as he looked at it. Her eyes looked at him with care. She hardly saw him smile. When she did, she wanted to time to stop. Soon the smile faded, and the moment had passed.

"I see you found that picture of us at the Gold Saucer." she said, walking closer to him.

"Yeah, I don't see why we took it."

"Because that's what friends do, Cloud." she said, shaking her head fondly.

He looked at her and blinked several times.

"I know. You were never good with that kind of stuff." she said, sitting on her bed.

"Yeah." he said softly.

She looked at him standing there. He looked nervous about something. She smiled a bit. It wasn't the abnormal to have him look uneasy about something. He always did. Although she tried to make him happy, it always seemed that she just couldn't do it as well as another. Yet, she would try her hardest to always be there for him and to care for him.

"So, how long are you staying here?" she asked, wondering if he would be with her for a while.

"Hmm? I am not sure." he said, looking at her with his mako-blue eyes.

Those eyes, every time she looked at them it sent chills up her spine. A good chill. One that she liked a whole lot. She had always found his eyes to be pretty to look at, and now they had a certain glow to them. Which in her mind, made them only look more intriguing. Others may find his eyes weird or even scary, but not her. She loved them. If only she could just look at them forever, but she knew that wouldn't happen.

"Tifa?" he asked, waving a hand in front of her face as she looked at him. Seeing her look at him like that made his heart beat just a little faster. He couldn't figure out why this was. He felt things around her that he never did around Aeris. It was all new to him. But that wasn't the odd thing, he actually liked being this close to her and feeling this way. In fact, the feelings that he had for Tifa had always been there. For that's why he had left to be in SOLDIER. He wanted to impress her.

She blinked a few times. "Hmm?" she said softly, shaking her head as if to clear it. She was coming out of her thoughts.

"...Nothing." he said, looking away from her.

His eyes looked back to the picture. She seemed so happy that day. He wasn't smiling in the picture, but his eyes didn't look as plain. They held a slight hint of joy. Although he would never admit that to anyone. Soon after that a sigh came from him. He was debating on whether or not to stay here with her. He knew that she would want that, but was he? He just couldn't shake the bad feeling he felt when he thought about leaving her again. She always seemed so sad whenever he left her.

"Say Cloud? You want something to eat?" Tifa asked after a little while as he stood up.

Coming out of his thoughts, he looked back at her and nodded slightly. "That would be nice."

She smiled and walked to the door. Just as she got there, she stopped and looked back at him. "Well, come on. Ya can't stay all by yourself with me around." she said, her smile was there again as looked at him.

He could feel his heart jump a little as he saw her smile. Telling himself to calm down, his face remained emotionless. "That is true, but I am worried about your cooking." he said in a playful manner.

This caught Tifa off guard. He hardly ever acted like that. It was something that she just wasn't used to at all. After the initial shock had gone, she nodded. "I think it has, but you will have to see for yourself." she said, winking. It wasn't like him to act this way, but she pushed it aside. After that she walked out of the room and left, leaving Cloud alone once again.

After that, he stood there and thought about if he should stay here or not once again. He wanted to make her happy, but in truth he was really scared to stay. Cloud didn't want to put her into anymore danger then he had to. He had to protect her. It was a promise he had made to her a long time ago, when they were just children. Another small smile came to his face as he thought about that night so long ago. It seemed like a whole different world then.

"Cloud...come on...get out here!" He could hear her call him from out at the bar. A small chuckle came from him as he made his way out there. Finally, he sat at the bar and watched her cook.

"Certainly smells better."

"Hey...shutup!" she said, laughing some.

His mako-blue eyes watched her as she cooked. Even though she was, in his mind, his only true friend. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be more then that with her. She was so kind and caring to him. Always thinking of him and making sure he was happy. He couldn't think of any other who put forth so much effort into insuring his happiness. Not even a flower girl who had a crush on him did as much as Tifa did. Cloud's heart still ached from that horrible accident, and he still felt guilty for her death. He looked back on it now and the one person who had been by his side through everything terrible that had happened to him was Tifa.

He came out of his thoughts when she placed the plate of food in front of him. After giving him a set of silverware, she smiled. "Here you are. Now I hope it is to your liking." she said, shaking her head fondly.

He smirked and took the fork. Soon after he had eaten some, he looked up at her. "This is actually pretty good."

She smiled as she poured him something to drink. "Well, I have been practicing. I have to do my best to make good food." she said, then set down his glass.

He smiled at that. Her food was really good. Much better then the stuff he was used to eating on the road. He looked up at her, his eyes never leaving hers. His mind was racing with so many things to say, and yet he couldn't speak at all. He could see her looking back at him, and it only made his heart race.

"Tifa...I-I..." he said softly as he kept his eyes on her. She looked back at him, her heart racing as well. Tifa had no idea what he was about to say, and that made it even more nerve racking.

"Yes?" She managed to get out as she kept looking at those enticing blue eyes of his.

"I-I...this is really good food." he said, looking down. Ashamed of himself for not being able to say what he really meant. Once again he was beating himself up for not saying something when he should have told her.

'_Almost, but not quite.'_ he thought to himself as he began to eat again.

He left Tifa standing there confused on what just happened. Standing there for a few seconds, she just thought about the past few moments. Soon she walked next to him and sat down. A smile on her face as looked at him. She was perfectly fine with him being just at her side. She didn't need any words at the moment. She was just glad that he was alright and not hurt or in trouble.

End Chapter...

So, everyone...how did ya like this chapter. its reading into more of their emotions. Don't worry the story only gets better and better after this. I promise. Just review and tell me if ya like it. See ya soon.


	3. The Truth Will Set You Free

Hello All, I am back again to write another chapter in this story. I hope you all are enjoying this. I really like writing in this world. It's really fun. I have so many ideas and twists. I only hope that as the story progresses people still read it. Well, tell me how I am doing.

**I do NOT OWN the world of Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.**

**The Truth Will Set You Free**

After dinner, Cloud walked back to his friend's room. He needed to think for a while. So many feelings had come back in the past few hours. It was hard for him, because he had always been a loner. Now that he was with his childhood friend again, his heart had decided to open up to her. Cloud wasn't used to feeling like this. He felt it when he was younger, but he had pushed that feeling deep down. Only now, was it beginning to resurface. He shook his head as he moved to sit down at the desk. The lone ex-SOLDIER looked at her desk once again. This time, those mako-blue eyes would look at the notebook on the desk. He raised an eyebrow as he was tempted to read what was in there. But that wasn't right. That would break her trust.

Cloud sat there and tapped his hand on the desk. His eyes kept looking at her notebook. '_No, I can't.'_ he thought as he looked away from the book. It was something that he just couldn't do. That would be wrong, and he could just imagine the world of pain he would be in if she caught him. A chill went through his body as visions flashed through his head, so he was back to square one again. He couldn't think right now. To many pent up emotions were flying around. A sigh escaped him.

Time went by, and soon in his hands was the notebook. Temptation had finally got the best of him, and he was now reading her most private thoughts. These things, she wouldn't tell anyone. He continued to read until he came to a page that had his name on it. His brow was scrunched as he flipped the page to see more of her handwriting. Again, an eyebrow would raise as he decided to read this as well.

"She is going to kill me." he said softly to himself, but he still pressed on as he wanted to know what she had to say about him.

His mako-infused eyes read the words of feelings that she wouldn't dare tell him. Cloud found himself enthralled at this piece of herself. He was rather shocked that she could have felt this way. The words that she spoke of, and how they were worded made his heart jump. It was as if she was writing what she couldn't say to him. But that couldn't be, could it? Did she really think of him as more then a friend? His heart would begin to race as he continued to read. His fingers turned the pages until there was no more writing. When he read the last sentence, his heart sank. He wanted to read more. Cloud wanted to run to Tifa, and tell her that her words had touched him. Only one thing stopped him, the last thing written. '_But I can't say these things to him, for his heart lies with someone else.'_

His eyes read that over and over. Why did he feel a sting of pain when he read that? Guilt perhaps? Or maybe the sadness that he couldn't muster up enough courage to speak his mind. Cloud had overcome a psycho path villain, the death of a beloved friend, and even saved the world. So, why couldn't he march up to his childhood friend and tell her that she was the one he liked? A sigh escaped the blonde haired man.

But that was the least of his troubles. For Tifa had walked in and had seen him reading something that she kept private. A pink hue was on her cheeks as she saw his reactions to her words. And then that's when anger fell upon her. How dare he read something that he was meant to know yet! Her brown eyes held hurt as she stood up straight. After she had seen enough, she cleared her throat. Seeing his look of being busted almost made her want to laugh.

"I see you found something to entertain yourself with while I was working." she said, keeping her voice an eerie calm.

"Tifa!" he said, his eyes holding the look of one being caught in something that they knew was wrong.

She crossed her arms over her chest and just waited for an explanation. Her face held anger, pain, and question. He had never been nosy before. So why start now? Tifa debated on whether or not to march up to him and punch him. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her closest childhood friend was reading something that was never for meant for his eyes. A few moments later, she took a few steps closer to him.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" she asked, her voice holding demand.

"...I...I know I shouldn't have-"

"Then why did you?"

"Well, it was just laying there and-"

"Shall I give you some time to think up some elaborate excuse?" she questioned him as she approached him. Stopping only two feet from him, her eyes looked at the book that his hands held. An arm stretched out, "Well, give it here." she stated, a bit impatiently.

"Right..." he said, handing it over slowly.

She quickly took it and sighed as she moved to her chest of drawers. Opening the top left drawer, she placed it gently in there. After closing it, she sighed. "How far did you read?" she asked, hoping that he didn't read about how she felt. Tifa prayed, as she stood with her back to him, that he hadn't read it. Her hopes and fears were on those sheets. Ones which she didn't want him to know of just yet. She looked at the top of the furniture. Her eyes spotting another picture of them together. Closing her eyes, she tried to push away the thought of forgiving him at the moment.

"...Not far enough." he admitted, for he wanted to read more of her writing. He had no idea of what she felt and yearned to know more.

"I see." she said, before turning around looking very serious. "Don't read anymore. Got it?" she asked, waiting for his response.

A nod came from him. The blonde haired man felt terrible for reading her journal. He knew it was wrong, and yet he still did it. His blue eyes looked at her as he saw the hurt on her face. A sigh came from him as he looked away. Of course, he felt like he would never gain her trust again. Thoughts of leaving filled his head as he looked at her. But if he did, wouldn't she be even more upset? Cloud closed his eyes and tried not to think of hurting her anymore then he had. Hearing drawers being opened broke his train of thought. Those blue eyes opened to see that Tifa had moved to the door.

"Now, I hope that I can trust you while I take a shower." she said, looking back at him.

Once more, another nod came from him. "...Yeah." he said, standing up.

She smiled some and then began to turn. But as she walked through the door, she heard him call her name. As much as she wanted to stay mad, she was failing. True, he had read something that she didn't want him to, but she couldn't stay made at him forever. Again, she heard him say her name. This time she stopped, but she didn't face him. Wanting to make him think about what he had done, so hopefully he wouldn't do it again.

"Tifa...sleep well." he said, before standing and moving to the couch in her room.

"I will." she said, before she left the room for good. Making her way to the bathroom to take hot shower and hopefully relax some, she opened the door and walked in. A soft sigh escaped her as she turned the knob to let the water pour out. Turning around and locking the door, she looked at her hand for a brief moment. She shook her head, and then began to undress and take her shower, trying to forget the event that just happened. Fifteen minutes later, she stepped out and dried off. Putting on the clean clothes she brought with her, she began to hum a bit. After that, she grabbed her brush and began to untangle the knots.

Finally, she returned to her quiet room. Her dark eyes caught sight of her childhood friend sleeping peacefully. A warm smile came to her face as she watched him. '_Only when you are here, do you look this way. At peace, without worry or fear.' _she thought as she stood there. She blinked a few times and then pulled the blanket by his feet up some. Biting her lower lip, she stood there.

"I forgive you, Cloud. I guess I couldn't keep it from you forever." she said, stroking his cheek briefly before she found herself blushing. Quickly, she pulled her hand away. What was she thinking? Doing stuff like this, he might wake up. So, she played it safe like she always did and when back to her bed and climbed in it.

However, Cloud had awoken when she had come back in the room. Being out on the road and having to keep his guard up had heightened his sense of awareness. He heard her soft words as he laid there. A smile was trying to break through, but he held it back. He couldn't let her know that he was awake. Her soft touch found its way to his cheek. It seemed that all of his pain melted away as he felt her touch. It was soothing. Of course, it made his heart begin to beat faster and after a while, he was sure that she could hear it. He felt her pull away quickly and felt sad. Cloud didn't want her to stop. It was something he wished she would do when he was 'awake'.

As he finally began to fall back asleep he thought about the words he had read earlier. One day he would gather up his courage and tell her. Hopefully that day would soon for both their sakes.

End Chapter...

Well, that was a night chapter to have. I really liked writing it. It could have been a bit longer but I like it. Please review. See ya later!


	4. Bare Your Heart To Me

Here I am again, about to write another chapter in this Final Fantasy story. I hope that all of my readers are liking this as much as I enjoy writing this story. I still cannot believe that here I am writing a story based off a roleplay by me and a friend. And for that I thank you, Ben! You rock! Thank you for being my Cloud!

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy or any of its characters!**

**Bare Your Heart To Me**

Morning came all to soon in the city of Midgar. The sun shone through the small window in Tifa's little bedroom. She opened her eyes and yawned. Another day, another chance to push back her feelings that were overwhelming her. The dark haired woman sat up and stretched some. Her deep eyes looked around her room and stopped at the couch. A gasp came from her as she realized that her childhood friend wasn't here. Or was he? The events played in her head that happened yesterday, and regret fell upon her. She felt as if she had pushed him away. '_He could have left already.'_ she thought as she got out of bed and changed out of her night clothes.

Hurrying, she left her room. Not caring if her hair was brushed at the moment, she only wanted to see if he had left her once again. However, she stopped when she smelled something burning. Thoughts ran through her head as she made a check list of turning everything off yesterday in her head. When she was done, she realized that she had. '_Then who could be burning something?'_

Her dark eyes widened as she figured out that Cloud must still be here. Tifa's footsteps soon took her to the bar, where she saw her childhood friend standing in front of the stove glaring at it. She stopped and tried to figure out what he was trying to accomplish by just standing there glaring. So, she moved closer to see what exactly what was going on. As she approached, she could hear him grumbling about how stupid this was and other comments like that. A smile appeared on her face as she just stood there watching him.

Cloud turned around and saw her standing there looking quite amused with the situation. He wrinkled his brow as he looked at her. What had he done that was so amusing? She must think him an idiot for burning something. A sigh came from him as looked back at the stove once again. It seemed that he would have to explain what had happened. After all, he wasn't exactly a ditz when it comes to cooking. He had just become preoccupied.

"I didn't mean to mess up anything." he said, looking back at her.

"What happened?" she asked, trying not to smile as she was holding back laughter.

"I was trying to make myself some breakfast and well...I got distracted." he said, upset at himself for doing this in front of her.

"Distracted?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you see...I heard something outside, and I wanted to make sure it wasn't anything, well you know suspicious. And well, when I came back...it was burning." he said, ashamed of what he had done.

"Cloud, its alright. Everyone makes mistakes. Even I have burnt things before." she said, shaking her head as she moved past him to clean up the mess. "Whatever were you trying to make?" she asked, looking down at the blackened lump of what used to be edible.

"Eggs." he said softly.

"Eggs?"

Only a nod could be seen from him as he stood there still feeling embarrassed for doing that. He hardly ever did something this foolish. He guessed that it was his mind being elsewhere. So many other thoughts had entered his mind that he wasn't paying attention. Not to mention, the stray dog that had been eating out of the trash had made him a tad bit paranoid. After all, he was used to being out and getting into fights all the time, so the slightest noise always made him cautious.

"Well, its alright. How about I make you some breakfast them?" she asked, looking back at him and smiling.

That smile. It always seemed to warm his heart. It seemed to take away all the pain. In return, he smiled. Not knowing what he was doing know. He supposed that he was just being an idiot again. But she wasn't yelling at him. Odd. He just brushed it off as her just to busy making breakfast. His mako-blue eyes just looked at her. In his eyes, she was amazing. The way she always was striving to make others happy. How she always knew what to say to make a smile appear on his face. He wondered if she ever thought about him, like he did her. Then the journal's words ran through his head.

Tifa began to cook breakfast for them both. A warm smile on her face as she was thankful that he hadn't left her. She still felt awful about how she had treated him yesterday. But still, he deserved it for reading something that was private. Although, the raven haired woman would eventually have to tell him how she truly felt, she couldn't at the moment. Oh well, she would cross that bridge when she got there. Which she had a feeling would be really soon. It was harder and harder to keep this from him. What was the only thing holding her back? That his heart might still belong to someone else.

Her hands worked away for a good 30 minutes, making him and herself a meal. It seemed to get her mind off the fact that she was hiding her feelings, and that she would have to tell him. Tifa set the plate of food down and gave a warm smile to her friend. Reaching up to get a glass, her smile stayed as she was happy to be helping him once again.

"Here you go." she said, pouring him some milk to go with his breakfast.

A slight nod came from him as he began to eat.

Tifa made herself a plate and ate quietly as well. It seemed that they both were thinking of what they could not say to one another. Actually, it's quite odd to see that both of them couldn't muster up enough courage to say anything to each other. But sooner or later, one of them would break and tell the other. But which will it be? The loner who took someone else's identity, or the woman who was to afraid to bare it all because of another woman? Only time will now tell.

And so the morning turned into afternoon, and the young woman began to open her bar for another day of business. Cloud, on the other hand, went to her room and stayed there. Only coming out every now and then when he heard someone get rowdy. It was pure instinct to check on her. After all, he had made a promise to her long ago. His mako-infused eyes looked at her as he stood at the entrance to the hall. He looked around the bar, admiring all the pictures of her friends. Most of them had him in them. A smirk fell upon his face as he noticed that. However, his eyes finally fell on something that he hadn't expected to see. A white flower. It was pressed and hanging in a frame. Cloud had given her that flower a long time ago. It made him think back to her words, he had to prove that she was wrong. That his heart was with her.

Now while Tifa was working away, Cloud decided to leave. She noticed him leaving and froze. "Cloud."

He turned and looked back at her. "I shall be back." he said, with a smirk.

Relief found its way to her heart as she watched him leave. Hearing some of her customers calling for refills, she came out of her little daze and went about the day with a bright smile. One that hadn't been there for a while. Although, the shine didn't reach her eyes yet, it would soon.

Evening soon came, and Cloud still hadn't returned. Worry was starting to kick in, but he said that he would be back. So, she couldn't be to mad. Not just yet. Once again, she began to close the bar early. She knew they it wasn't good for business, but hey, it was her childhood friend. And they all knew how much she cared for him. In fact, most of them were surprised that he didn't know.

About an hour after sundown, Cloud returned to Tifa cooking once again. A smile came over his face as he watched her. He was glad in making this choice in his head. Cloud knew that she had to know. That the pain she must be feeling everyday had to be becoming unbearable.

"Tifa?"

"Yes, Cloud?" she said, looking back and smiling. But that shine wasn't in her eyes as it normally was.

"Come here."

"But...I am cooking."

"So?" he said, with a smirk.

"Don't you remember this morning?" she asked him, her tone playful.

"Hey, I said I was sorry." he said, mocking hurt.

She set the noodles aside and let them cool. Making her way to the other side of the bar, she stopped right before him. Her dark eyes looked at him and wondered what he was up to. Tifa placed an hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow as she watched him. She waited anxiously for what he was about to do.

"Well?"

"...Here..." he said, holding out his hand to reveal a ribbon. But this wasn't just any ordinary ribbon. It was one that would help protect her. Not only that but there was a surprise with it, two tickets to Gold Saucer.

Tifa's eyes widened as she looked at him, and then back at the present. She couldn't believe her eyes. What she was seeing, was it real? What was he up to? Her mind began to flood with questions. It was as if something extremely good had just happened to her, and she was refusing to believe it. "What is this?" she asked, barely being able to get that out.

"You said in your journal, that you wanted a night out with me. Well, I am giving it to you." he said, a cool smirk playing on his smooth face.

She could feel her heart pounding as she just stared at the tickets. "But..what is this? You just want to spend some time with me?" she asked, wanting to know his intentions.

"You could say that." he said, leaving them on the table. Cloud stood and moved closer to her. "Think of it as a chance for us to be together. So you can..." he paused as he leaned down to whisper the last part in her ear. "Bare you heart to me." he said, that smirk still on his face as he moved away from her and to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed.

And so he left Tifa in the middle of the bar dumbfounded for a little while. The woman was trying to gather her thoughts as she looked at the tickets. So, he had read all the way through it. That was when her cheeks flushed as she realized that he had read all of what she was feeling. Dread ran through her body as she closed her eyes. But wait! Her friend hadn't become angry with her for this. Instead, Cloud had only gone out to make what she wanted, happen. Could it be that he felt the same way as she? That made her heart race as a smile came over her face. He just might like her. She took the tickets and went to her room to set them on her desk. Standing there, she giggled some as she realized that now was her chance to see if she would get what she desired most.

"Oh, wait...dinner!" she said, as she realized that she still needed to finish fixing it. So, off she went to continue to fix it with a bright smile on her face. That sparkle back in her eyes as she made her way to the kitchen. The days coming would be interesting indeed.

End Chapter...

Well, I am hope you guys are enjoying this so far. The good stuff is coming, I swear! It just takes time to make this story oh so perfect. Cuz as you all know, they both are kinda shy with this. But this is how my roleplay went, so this is how I am writing it. Just wait to see what I have in store. Well, if ya like...review and tell me. See ya soon!


	5. One Moment In Time

Well, I bet the people who read this are wondering what the hell happened to me. Alright, I shall explain. I am a college student and studying comes first. I will always put school first so my writing comes second. But not to fear, I am not stopping just writing on the weekends now. So, with that out of way, I can start to write the next part of the story.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy or any of its characters.**

**One Moment In Time**

Tifa was still asleep when morning came the next day. Cloud had let her sleep in while he had actually made breakfast without burning up anything. Of course, he knew it wasn't going to be anything like her meals, but it would be enough to make her smile. He wanted nothing more then for her to stop worrying about him and just relax. Once Cloud was done, he set the plates back on the bar, full of food, and let them cool. His bare feet would take back to her room where he saw her still sleeping. The sun shone through the window and hit her face to make her look more like an angel. A soft smile came to his face as he walked over to where she was. His eyes seemed to soften as he let his hand reach out and move some hair out from her face.

Tifa wrinkled her nose some as she felt something touch her cheek. It was warm and soothing. A warm smile came to her face as she was began to awaken. Her eyes fluttered open to meet with mako-blue ones. The woman felt her heart jump as she realized that it was Cloud. She wasn't used to him waking her up. For Tifa was always the early bird, but not today. As she became more awake, she smiled at him. Sitting up, she noticed that he was sitting on the bed as well. A yawn came from her as she stretched some.

"Morning, Cloud." she said, after a while of silence.

"Good Morning." he said, his eyes never leaving hers as he watched her. There was something about him today that seemed different somehow. His eyes seemed softer and less angry.

She blinked some, and then offered a warm smile. It was odd to see this side of him, but she didn't mind. In fact, she never wanted this to go away. Tifa yawned as looked out the window. Today the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. A beautiful day for being outdoors. She looked back at Cloud and smiled warmly before sliding out of bed. Her feet made their way to the closet where she would get some more clothes to change into. Her brown hair was framing her face as she turned to her dresser where her hair tie would be.

"Be back in a minute." she said, still smiling as she left to go to the bathroom and change.

Cloud waited as patiently as he could. This day had to go perfect if he was to tell her everything. He looked to the doorway where he saw her standing there. For a few moments, he was lost in her beauty but quickly gained his composure. He stood up and walked over to her. His mako eyes seemed to glow just a bit brighter as he stood in front on her. A small smile even came to his straight face as he heard her compliment him on whatever was smelling good in the kitchen. He followed her there, unable to stop thing about the events of this day and how they were going to change everything.

"Cloud, this isn't all that bad." she said, eating some before giving him yet another compliment. It wasn't long before the blonde was once again smiling as he ate.

Tifa continued to eat, wondering what all he had in store for this 'date'. She didn't want to tell herself that's what it was, but she couldn't deny that it was. The brunette couldn't help but think how many times she had wished, prayed and dreamed that this was happen. She set down her spoon and smiled at him. Tifa was thankful that things were finally looking up. Maybe she could be happy after all, truly happy.

After the dishes were cleaned and everything was put back in its place, Cloud looked at her. "Shall we get going?" he asked, starting to feel butterflies in his stomach.

A nod came from the brunette as she stood to meet him. Her brown eyes were full of amazement as she began to gather a few things before heading to the door. She turned her head slightly to smile at him as he slowly made his way there. In Tifa's mind, she thought that he was acting rather cute, acting all nervous in front of her. She only shook her head fondly as she opened the door and walked out, waiting for him. Once outside, she locked the bar and proceeded down the stairs. Her dark hair was flowing in the breeze as she looked around for some sort of transportation.

"What are we taking, your bike?" she asked, looking slightly up at him as he began to walk to where he had parked it.

A slight nod came from him after she had asked that question. "Yeah, hope you don't mind." he said, his voice sounding nervous.

"No, its been a while." she said, reminiscing about old times.

A chuckle could be heard from Cloud as he stopped before his pride and joy. Fenrir, his beloved bike, had been through some crazy times with him, and now, it was even better then before. The spiky blonde was pleased with the shape that he had kept it in. He looked back at his childhood friend and smiled as she walked closer. Quickly, he hopped on and waited for her to do the same. It had been a while, since the both had done something together on this thing, and he could see the look on her face must mean that she was remembering it.

"Tifa." he said, causing her to come out of her daze like state.

"Right." she said, laughing nervously as she climbed on. Wrapping her arms around his stomach, she blushed some. It had been a while since she had been this close to him as well. Hearing the engine roar, she couldn't help but smile. Soon, she could feel the wind hitting her face as everything around them was a blur. She knew where they were headed, her awaited date was just beginning. Tifa was sure that this was all a dream that she would wake up from. But if it was a dream, she didn't want to ever wake up from it. After a few hours, she laid her head on his back.

The closeness that was there had caused Cloud to blush as well. Why was it that she could do this to him? He had been through so much and always considered himself a loner, but when he was with her, he felt whole. He felt like he should stay with her. His brain began to question what he was doing, but his heart, his heart was telling him to go with it. And so confused Cloud, was even more confused. So, as they traveled he was quiet and didn't say a word. He decided he would think about these things another day. For this day was for his beloved childhood friend.

Another few hours went by, and they were on the Ferry over to where the Gold Saucer was. With some persuading, they managed to get Fenrir on there as well. Tifa was the main reason which made Cloud somewhat jealous. Another emotion, that he couldn't explain. It was driving him crazy as to how one woman could do this to him. He never thought this could happen. To deep in thought to notice that Tifa was next to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Mm, lovely view." she commented as she looked out at the blue sea. Not a cloud was in the sky, and it was a gorgeous day.

Cloud blinked a few times and then noticed that she was talking to him. A small smile crept to his face as he looked down at her. "Yes, it is." he said, not paying attention to the scenery, but what was by his side. Sometimes, he wondered just how pretty she thought she was.

Before too long, they could see land once again. Once the Ferry docked, they resumed the ride to Gold Saucer. A giggle came from Tifa as she looked at the place once again. It had been two years since she had stepped foot in the place. She remembered cheering Cloud on in the Chocobo races and playing games. Cloud recalled the battle arena, and the gil he had acquired from racing and betting. As they presented their tickets, Tifa looked up at the Gondola. A smile came to her face as she remember what she had almost told him back then. This time, she was going to tell him and let him know how she felt. No longer wishing to keep this emotion inside any longer. She was willing to take this risk. She would have one more moment in time.

"Tifa?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you looking at?"

"Just deciding what I want to do first." she said, smiling brightly as she walked to be by his side. Yes, she would tell him. He needed to hear it from her, not read anymore of what her heart was thinking.

End chapter...

Yeah, I know. Its been ages, but this whole school thing is pretty difficult. Not to worry, the story will still get out there. My first semester has been a pain, but here I am. And you shall get more as I only have two more weeks of this hell. Then I can write to my hearts content. See ya soon.


	6. Hope And Fears Revealed

Well, I am back for another chapter in this wonderful Cloud/Tifa story. I hope that you guys are enjoying this. I don't get many reviews. Well, I am back for another chapter in this wonderful Cloud/Tifa story. I hope that you guys are enjoying this. I don't get many reviews, but the ones that I have been getting good ones and no bad ones. That is always a good sign. Well, on with the story then.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy or anything related to it!**

**Hopes And Fears Revealed**

Tifa looked back at Cloud with happy eyes. It had been a long time since she had smiled this much. So much had happened since he had left the last time and Tifa never thought that her childhood friend would think of something like this for her. She smiled brightly before turning to looked at all of the attractions. There were so many that she couldn't decide right away. Her brown eyes looked around, and finally, she made her choice. "Can we go see a play?" she asked, looking at Cloud for his approval. Tifa hadn't seen a play since the last time she had come here which was about 9 months ago.

The blonde nodded and followed her as his childhood friend led him to the theater. Sitting down next her, he looked at her for a few moments, admiring her beauty. His mako blue eyes showed warmth for a few moments before she turned her head to look at him. The moment her head moved, he looked away, ashamed that he couldn't just down right tell her his feelings. Soon, though, soon he would have to tell her. Cloud could no longer keep this inside. The emotions that he had bottled up would be told to her within the day, or at least he had hoped.

"Remember the last time that we came here?" she asked, looking at him with bright eyes still.

It took him a few moments to think about that. The party of nine had come here so long ago. Did he really come here with her? He blinked a few times, and then nodded as a vision of her came to his mind. She was happy; just like she was now. "Yes, you dragged me everywhere." he replied with a smirk.

"Hush." she said, laughing some as the lights lowered. The play started with her grinning. Her brown eyes watched the actors put on a rather good play. Although, she was interested in the story of this play, her attention was moving toward Cloud. He seemed so relaxed today. She wondered how that happened. Could it be her? Her eyes looked at her hand, and it was then that she realized that he was holding it ever so gently. Her eyes widened as she looked. Her mouth opened a little, and then she shot her head up to finish watching. Even though she was trying to watch, her heart began to race as she couldn't take her mind off what was happening. '_Is this happening or am I having another dream?'_ Tifa questioned herself about all of this. "Tifa." Cloud's voice rang inside her head. She blinked and looked up at him.

"You alright? The play has been over for ten minutes." he said, looking at her with slight confusion.

"What?" she asked, looking to see that no one was there anymore. A blush came over her face. "Oh. Wow, I completely zoned out. Sorry." she said, beginning to stand up.

"I see." he said, his hand long gone from holding hers. Although, he longed to hold it once more.

"Well, shall we get some food?" she asked, right before she heard his stomach grumble. Laughter came from her as she looked at him and then just smiled once again.

Cloud laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Y-yeah."

She nodded and took his arm, leading him back out to look for a restaurant. Her brown eyes looked to him. "What do you want?"

"Hmm, I was thinking some noodles."

"Is that all you like?" she asked with a playful smile on her face.

"Well, they are simple and taste good." he stated with a nod.

She laughed. "Well, if I remember correctly, there is a place here that has some noodles." she said, leading him to where it was. She stopped for a moment to make sure that this was alright with him. Tifa had always been this caring to him. She had always devoted herself to making him happy. Even though he hardly showed it, she thought that she was at least making him feel content when she was around. Oh, how little she knew.

It amazed Cloud on how caring she had always been to him. Always putting him first, made him smile warmly for a brief moment. His blue eyes looked at her and nodded to let her know that this was fine. He wanted nothing more then to have her be happy. It was his turn to make her feel cared for. He walked in with her and was content with being around her. They were seated, and he sat in front of her. He looked at her once again and just admired how she had grown with beauty.

After Tifa ordered her Teriyaki chicken, she looked at Cloud and felt a little odd. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, her cheeks becoming a bit pink.

He shook his head some and looked up at the waiter who delivered their food. Cloud was thankful that it had come. He looked at the hot noodles and smiled some. However, he thought that it wouldn't be as good as Tifa's cooking. He grabbed his chopsticks and began to dig in. He was right, the noodles were good, but not as good as his childhood friend's. "How is your dinner?" he asked, looking at her.

She smiled as she finished eating her mouthful. "Hmm, pretty good. Although, I am sure that I could make this. You?"

"I have had better." he said, his blue eyes never straying from her dark eyes.

Tifa smiled as she knew what he meant and was flattered by it. After a while, she broke eye contact and looked at her half empty plate. Once more, her thoughts traveled to why they were here. She couldn't think straight anymore. Pressing her lips together, she finished as much as she could. "Say, you want to ride on the gondola?" she asked after she had seen that he too was finished with his meal.

He nodded, his own thoughts making him nervous.

So, she stood and went for the check, only to be stopped by Cloud. He told her that he would be paying. Tifa felt her heart nearly stop as she had never seen him act this way. Her eyes held shock for a moment, and then she nodded. As soon as everything was paid for, the two of them left the restaurant. As they walked back to the gondola, Cloud was tempted to take her hand, but stopped himself. He felt that it wasn't right yet. She looked at him and smiled. Soon they were there and waited to get onto one. Both of them seemed quite nervous for they needed to tell the other exactly how they felt. Cloud let Tifa board before him. They sat across from each other.

As it began to move, she looked at him and took a deep breath, but before she could say anything, Cloud spoke. "I have something that I must tell you." Were the words that she heard come from his lips. In that instant, her heart froze as all of her hopes rose. Something that must be told; that could only mean that it was important, and that she should listen. Pressing her lips together once more, she nodded some and waited for him to speak again.

Cloud let his mako-blue eyes look at her and tried to calm himself. "I know that you have always been there for me. Through everything, you have always been the one that I could come to and feel at home. I have seen how sad you have become since we defeated Sephiroth, and I didn't understand until now. It was foolish of me to take everything that you have done for me for granted. I didn't realize how much pain you must have felt, but now I understand and Tifa..." he said, taking a pause to see how she was reacting.

Tifa looked at him with a hand over her mouth. She was in complete shock as she listened to his words. Was her dream of this happening finally coming true? She nodded, wanting him to continue.

"Tifa, I want you to know that I never want that much pain to happen to you again. Never again will I take all your caring for granted. It's my turn to make you happy. You were right about one thing. My heart is with someone, but it's not who you think. I wanted to find the Promised Land, but I already found it. It's with you, Tifa. My heart lies with you. Let me live up to being your hero." he said, closing his eyes. Cloud felt foolish to just tell his secret that he had been keeping for years, but then again, he couldn't keep anything from his closest friend. It was to much. A sigh came from him and then not even a second later, he felt something soft hit his lips. His eyes opened to see Tifa in front of him, kissing him softly. He felt something wet hit his cheek. He pulled back and just looked at her.

There Tifa was, baffled by what he had just spoken. Never in a thousand years, did she think he would be the one to bear his heart like that. Of course, she had always called him her hero, but he had always denied it. To hear him say that he wanted to made her heart leap for joy. As soon as he was done, she had the impulse to just kiss him. Watching him look so nervous and hearing those words of passion come from him were just to much for her to handle. Tears welled in her eyes and spilt over as she kissed him softly. When he pulled away, she opened her brown eyes to show happiness beyond belief. "I-I never thought that I would actually hear you say that. I must be dreaming. I have longed to hear you say something like this. And, and now here you are. Cloud, just knowing that you indeed have feelings for me is enough to make me happy." she said, taking his hand and sitting beside him. Her eyes still were full of tears as she looked at him.

Relief seemed to come over him as he looked at her. "You know for a moment there, I was afraid you weren't going to like what I had to say."

She laughed as she looked at him. "Well, I do like it. Say, Cloud?" she asked, as she leaned against his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Let's go home." she said, yawning some.

"I think that is a good idea." he said, helping her out of the gondola. Everything was going to be alright. He was going to make sure that she was happy and protected. Once they were on the ground, he led her back to Fenrir and began to make the trip home. For once in his life, he felt as if things were clear and that his emotions made sense.

End Chapter...

Well, there ya have it. The next chapter might have a lemon! So, check it out. Drama is promised in a few chapters. So keep coming back for more. Don't forget to review, that makes me very happy. It lets me know how well I am doing. See ya soon. ones that I have been getting good ones and no bad ones. That is always a good sign. Well, on with the story then.


	7. Passion Unfolds

I am back again with another chapter. I know it's quick, but I really want to get this story on the road. I know that there will be a lemon in this chapter, so advert your eyes young ones. Drama is about to happen and I want to see it unfold as all you do. Well, enough from me...on with the story.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters!**

**Passion Unfolds**

Tifa had fallen asleep against Cloud's back as he drove home. She smiled slightly in her sleep. Her heart seemed content with things now as they both had told each other that they cared deeply for one another. It seemed that the both of them were finally at peace. Cloud rode into Midgar and went to Seventh Heaven, a place that he was all to familiar with now. He turned off Fenrir and looked over his shoulder to see that Tifa was still sound asleep. He chuckled as he moved some. They had been out late, and he was sure that she was tired from the events of the day. A smile came to his face as he moved to get up. He only said her name once, but her dark eyes fluttered open. The ex-SOLDIER watched as she stirred and sat up straight. She yawned as she looked at him and smiled warmly.

"Let's get some sleep." he said, getting off of his bike. After he stretched, he looked back at her and extended his hand for her to take. True, it was unlike him to show affection, but with the recent events that had happened, he felt as though he could share anything with her. His heart jumped some as he felt her hand take his.

Tifa looked at him with disbelief for a second, as all of this was a dream. She shook her head slightly and walked up the stairs with him. Taking the key out, she unlocked the door. Walking in, she looked back at him and smiled brightly. It was good to be home and with him by her side. It was almost to much for her to take in all at once. She turned to face him and just look at his usually cold face. Now, all she could was relief and a certain peace that she had rarely seen. Her own eyes moved from his face to his eyes. Oh, those eyes. Every time she looked into them, she was lost. As far as Tifa was concerned, that was his best feature. However, her eyes looked down to his lips. How sweet was the kiss that she received not even six hours before. She felt her tongue lick her own lips as she was brought into a dreamy state.

Cloud watched her and thought she was acting strange, but then he looked to see her staring into his mako-blue eyes. He to felt his heart jump for joy as time seemed to stand still for a few moments. Of course, he was the one who broke the mood by speaking. "It's late, and we both have to get up early in the morning." he said, looking at her in her dream state. Without realizing it, he had slowly moved closer to her. The spiky blonde looked down at the one that had captured his heart long ago. He didn't even feel himself lowering his head to give her a soft kiss. It only lasted for a few moments, but it calmed his heart. Pulling away, he smiled and bid her goodnight, before going to her room.

Tifa stood there with her eyes closed in complete bliss. This whole day had been pulled out from one her dreams. She could have sworn that is what had happened in pervious dreams. After hearing his voice one last time, she trembled some. She looked down at her arm to see goose bumps. Since when did Cloud give her those? She shrugged it off and turned to go to her room where she would grab her night shirt and change in the bathroom. The whole entire time she went through the process of getting ready for bed, she hummed and smiled brightly. Once she was done, she came back to the room and walked over to the couch where her childhood friend was sleeping. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead and walked to her bed. Slipping under the covers, she snuggled in and drifted off to sleep.

Later that night as the younger of the two lovers slept. Cloud tossed and turned on the couch. He seemed to be having a nightmare of some sort. His brow held small beads of sweat as he turned his head from side to side. After a while, his eyes snapped open, and he shot up, breathing heavily. He quickly turned his head to see Tifa sleeping soundly on the bed. He let out a sigh of relief that he hadn't woken her up. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and sighed. '_What kind of dream was that?'_ he asked himself as he looked out the window. Whatever it was, it had scared him back into his normal way of acting. He looked at Tifa, and his heart was urging him to go to her. Maybe she could help him. He pushed back the blanket and placed his feet on the floorboards. He wondered if she would be upset with him if he woke her. But he needed comfort; of course she wouldn't mind. At least that is what he told himself as he walked softly to her bedside.

The brunette was laying on her back as she had her head turned sideways on the pillow. She stirred when she felt a warm hand on her cheek. Her eyes opened slowly as she moved her head to see who she had hoped that it would be. A soft smile came to her face as she looked at Cloud. However, it would fade as she saw the look on his face. She sat up some and worry came over her face. "What's the matter?" she asked, as she placed a hand on his cheek. She could see the look of fear and anger on his face. It worried her as he just looked at her, not knowing what to say.

"Tifa..." he said, not being able to make a straight thought as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I need you." he said, his voice was barely heard in her ear as she shivered some from the air going into her ear. His strong arms stayed wrapped around her as he leaned his head against her own. To feel her warmth made him smile in relief as he knew that everything would be alright. He pulled away a few minutes later and looked at her.

She didn't know what was going on, but she felt a little better as she saw him look happier. Although, she was confused about his words. She nodded and smiled. "I am right here, Cloud." she said, her voice full of care. Tifa scooted over some and patted the bed next to her. "Here, sleep here, and get some rest. She looked at him, her eyes seeming to shine in the moonlight that came through the window. She watched as he nodded and followed her instructions. She snuggled against him as he lay there on his back, looking at the ceiling.

"Take me away, Tifa." he breathed as he ran his hand down her back. He could feel her tremble as he let his hand stop on the small of her back. A smile came to his face as he looked down at her to see her face buried in his chest. He pulled her close and let his hand move up her back once again to get the same reaction. A smirk came to his face as he decided to be a bit devilish tonight. The thoughts of his nightmare were slowly being pushed back into his mind as he left his hand on her back, under her loose shirt mind you.

The young woman couldn't take much more of his soft touch on her back. Goose bumps had come to her skin once again. Hearing his words only made things worse. After all, he didn't sleep with a shirt on which made things even more difficult for her to even breath normally. She gulped as she looked up to see his blue eyes seeming to glow in the darkness. Once again, the brown haired woman felt herself falling once again into a trance that would slow time. Her body and heart seemed to override her in this state. She moved up and placed most of her weight on her left arm as she was halfway on top of him. Her breathing slightly jagged as she looked at him. Her eyes looking at his well built chest and stomach. Of course, he would have to look this enticing to her. He had been in a SOLDIER for a while and still battled roaming monsters around the world. Pressing her lips together, she placed a hand on his chest and let out a soft moan.

Hearing her soft voice moan, made Cloud stiffen some but smile. He couldn't get enough of the way she moved, how she sounded, how she looked at him. He licked his lips as he watched her move and place a hand on his defined chest. His muscles tightened under her soft touch. As she ran her hand down to his stomach, he held back at tremble as a tingling sensation went through his whole body. One that he liked and wanted more of. His passion was growing for her as he looked at her with his mako-infused eyes. Every now and then, he would see her look up and smile at him. His abdomen tightened under her fingers running over his muscles. He sucked in some air as he could feel the urge to pull her down and kiss her passionately.

As Tifa watched his own actions, she smiled happily as she leaned over him and looked to see his shining eyes. True, that shine was because of mako that had been infused into his bloodstream a while ago, but she loved it. She always had, and she always would. Her hands traveled back up to his shoulders where she left them as the brunette looked at him with nothing but love and care. It wasn't long after that she felt his strong arms wrap around her once again and pulled her close to his body. His breathing was very much jagged as he looked up her. "Tifa..." he breathed as he let his hands go under her baggy shirt and roam softly up her back. Only a few seconds later, did she find herself on her back with him looking down at her. She licked her lips and right after, she felt him pressing his own against hers in a forceful yet erotic kiss. Her whole body pushed against his as she felt every hair on her body stand on end.

He couldn't hold back any longer. Cloud's own passion seemed to overwhelm him as he kissed her. Letting his tongue graze her lips, he waited until she gasped. At that moment, he let his tongue slip into her mouth. Hearing another soft moan and feeling her hands come up to his blonde hair, slightly pulling on it, made him know that this was alright. That the both of them wanted it. Satisfaction began to creep into his heart as he knew that he would be in the Promised Land soon enough if things kept up, his own Promised Land. She looked so enticing in the moonlight. The blonde let his fingers go over the buttons on her shirt as he continued to kiss her passionately. Soon, he would be unbuttoning as he couldn't hold back his own emotions. Ones that he thought he would never experience in his life.

A gasp came from her as Tifa felt his fingers roam on her skin. She bit her lower lip and tried not to moan as she felt as she would burst at any moment. Her mind was becoming unclear as the night deepened into a dark shroud of fulfilled dreams. She looked up at him as her bottom lip quivered in anticipation. "My Love.." she spoke, her breathing inconsistent as she lay there under him. She watched him as he only smirked at her. For he never was the one to say a lot. Holding back was no longer an option for her as she wanted him more and more with each passing second. To long had she waited for him to do this to her. So many dreams had she had about this moment, that now it seemed unreal.

Cloud watched her every move and waited until she couldn't take anymore of the ecstasy that he was giving to her. He leaned down close to her ear and whispered if she wanted to come away with him. After feeling her head nod against the side of his face, he pulled away from her and began to undress the little clothing that he still had on. The blonde watched as his new lover wriggled out of her own clothes, which she too now had on very little. She lay there, smiling at him. For she was waiting so patiently for him take her away to a place with no pain or fear. Those mako-blue eyes would close as he leaned over her once again. He slowly moved inside and stopped when he heard her gasp. Fear filled him as he snapped open his eyes and looked at her face to see if there was any pain there. Relief came rushing back as she saw that she was smiling with her eyes closed. So, he pressed forward with his movement of making her fly away with him. Cloud increased his speed as he could feel this feeling of overwhelming ecstasy come over him. Hearing her moans only added to his heighten emotions. Not only her moans, but her calling out his name as if saying that he shouldn't stop. Shivers went down his back as he continued, listening to her beg for more. He felt her hands grip his back which made him gasp, then groan in pleasure. He could feel flight coming as he went on. His ears could hear her coming to a peak as well. Breathing heavily, he moved deeper, only to hear her cry out his name before her whole body convulsed as she felt pure pleasure fill her body. Soon after this happened, Cloud was right there with her in feeling flight and seeing nothing but white as his eyes were closed. Although, images of her flashed through his head as he fell forward on her. His back slightly sweaty from the accelerated heart rate.

Tifa laid there, breathing abnormally. Her hands ran through his hair as she smiled. "Thank...you, Cloud." she said, closing her eyes to calm her racing heart. She could feel him nod against her naked skin. A slight laugh came from her as he plopped next to her and laid on his back. As she laid there, she listened to his breathing slow as he fell into a sleep that would be the best that he had in a while. Before he drifted, he spoke something softly, and Tifa would barely hear it. Her eyes opened quickly and she smiled before going to sleep. For he had told her that he loved her. The words would forever remain in her heart now that she had heard them. With that, the two slept in peace. Finally, together in each other's arms where they belonged.

End Chapter...

sighs and fans face Wow, who knew that I could write something that erotic. I guess it's cuz I am sitting here in the middle of the night listening to Kingdom Hearts II music. Well, ya can't blame me, it helped with it, did it? I hope you all review. See ya soon.


	8. Shattered Dreams, Fear Driven Nightmares

.Well, this story has become quite interesting really fast. It's amazing that I have some smart readers out there who are catching on to my plot. Ahh, but not to worry, I have so many plot twists, you will be on your toes for a while. Enough from me, on with this story.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters!**

**Shattered Dreams, Fear Driven Nightmares**

_Swirling his sword around only to be block by another blade. His blue eyes looked at the attacker to see a wicked grin on a pale face. His aquamarine eyes seemed to hold nothing but evil as he looked into the mako-blue of the blonde. The silvered haired man pulled back and laughed evilly as he disappeared and came behind the blonde. Turning quickly, but only to see two people now. His blue eyes would widen as he saw that they were multiplying. Fear was running through him as he couldn't keep on fighting like this. He coughed some, before charging towards both of them. As he keep his defenses about him, he was slowly becoming weaker. His breathing was uneven as they got a couple of nicks. He groaned as he fell to one knee as the two were no match for him at his current state. _

_He looked up as he saw a sword pointed as his neck, but he didn't say anything. They asked him questions and still he would give them no answer. The one who had initially attacked him, looking to the other and nodded. Once that happened, something terrible happened. Those mako-blue eyes held horror as a brunette girl looked battered and bruised, lying limp in another silvered haired man's arms. He gritted his teeth as he looked at them all with vengeance._

_"Cloud..." the girl breathed. It was scratchy and very faint. "You forgot your promise..." she said, before completely going. Laughter was heard all around as everything fell to black._

Cloud's eyes snapped opened, and he immediately looked to his side to see Tifa sleeping soundly by his side. He breathed a sigh of relief. What was that dream about? He shook his head at he couldn't seem to get that image of her bleeding and bruised out of his head. His eyes looked at her with sorrow and great care. There was no way that he would ever let that happen to her. No, he would keep his promise, or he would dying trying. Never would he see her in that much pain. He let his hand caress her cheek as Cloud watched her sleep. A small came to his face as his eyes watched her sleep in peace. Worry was in his eyes as he looked up at the door. He had to leave her for a little bit. That dream was becoming more vivid, and Cloud knew he had to find these people. Find these people and destroy them before they could harm her.

The blonde slipped out of bed carefully. He looked back at her to see if she was still asleep. After that, he carefully gathered his things and made his way to the door. Opening slowly, he went through. Cloud looked back at Tifa and smiled once again. "I will keep my promise." he said, softly and then walked out her door to the bar. As he walked through it, the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. He took one last look before around the bar and sighed. As much as he wanted to stay, he couldn't. Her safety was more important. He walked to the bar and wrote something on a small piece of paper. With a nod, he then left Seventh Heaven. As he got on Fenrir, he looked back on last time, then started his bike and road off into the rising sun.

* * *

About an hour and a half later, Tifa awoke. She yawned as she sat up and stretched. Her dark eyes looked around, and she smiled. Things were going quite well for her. Her heart seemed happy and light now that she had let her feelings be known. As she got up and dressed, she noticed that Cloud wasn't in the room. She only smiled and shook her head as he either was outside working on Fenrir or cooking. Since she hadn't smelled any food, she thought he was outside. Grabbing some clothes, she went to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for another day.

She walked into the bar later and began to cook breakfast for the two of them. When she set down his plate, she noticed that there was a piece of paper where he would normally sit. Her brow wrinkled some as she set his plate next to it. Her hand grabbed it and began to read it. Her eyes went from confusion to horror. Tifa dropped the paper and ran to the door. It was already unlocked, a bad sign. She swung it open and ran down the stairs to see if his bike was by her bar. Fear was in her face as she called out his name. Sadness was creeping into her heart as she looked around franticly for him. This couldn't be happening. This was all a bad dream and she would wake up right next to him. Right? Her breathing was jagged as she sat on the steps and placed her head in her hands. She didn't care of people saw her like this, something terrible had happened.

"Why Cloud?" she asked, as she stood up and walked back in. For now, she would open her bar to try to get her mind off of the tragic thing that had just occurred. Her footsteps took her to behind the bar where she began to mix drinks and try to put on a smile. Mostly everyone knew that something was wrong, but they didn't say anything. However, all of them felt her pain as her spirit was broken once again. For this, they hated Cloud.

One year and six months later, Tifa was standing behind her bar making her patrons some drinks. However, things had changed. Children now played in the hallway that led to her room, where Marlene was babysitting a nine-month old. She was carrying him to the bar. "Miss Tifa, he is getting fussy again." she said, setting the small child on the counter.

The dark haired woman looked at the small boy and smiled warmly. "Are you hungry, Sora?" she asked, reaching out her arms to him. When the boy laughed and clapped his hands, she took that as a yes. "Alright, let me get it ready." she said, looking down at some applesauce that she could give him. As she told Marlene to watch Sora, she went to fixing the baby's small meal. Once again, Tifa was to busy to notice that another new customer had come in.

"Welcome to the Seventh Heaven, Mr." Marlene said, with a bright smile on her face as she was playing with Sora.

Tifa swirled around and put on that smile that she always had. The one that pushed back all of her sadness. But, when her dark eyes looked at the new person who had come in everything seemed to change. Her face turned to horror. Her eyes quickly looked at the baby and then back to the one that she was looking at previously. She gulped as she moved closer to where he was sitting at the bar. "Can I get you something?" she asked, her voice a bit shaky.

"Something hard." That was his signature line. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the blonde who had said those words without looking at her. Her heart began to break all over again. She nodded and began to fix his drink. As her hands poured the mixture of liquor, the small brown haired boy crawled over to where she was standing. He began to reach for the cup, but then stopped and looked at the man sitting there. His blue eyes started at him and then looked to Tifa.

"Mama...hungy." The little one looked at her and started to sniffle. Tifa looked horrified that he had said something like that at this moment in time. Why now? She looked at the glass and mouthed a profanity before looking up and handing the drink to the blonde in front of her. She then picked up the baby and carried him a little ways over and set him down. She grabbed the plate and began to feed him.

After a few sips of his drink, the blonde looked to the two. His stern faced watched them intently. "I see you have children here now. Orphans?"

She looked up at him. "Yes, they are." she said, hoping that white lie wouldn't bite her in the butt later. Her eyes looked back at the boy who was making noise, of course wanting more food.

"Because you didn't want them to feel like you did." he said, looking at her. His blue eyes softened for a moment.

"Y-yes. You could say that."

He finished his drink and walked over to the two. He set down a bag. "Here, for the kid." he said, before looking at her one last time. Visions of his nightmares came to him and he told himself that he couldn't stay. With that he bid her goodbye and left.

Tears formed in her eyes as she watched him go away. "There went your father, Sora. I hope he comes back to see you grow." she said, before lowering her head to let them fall without her son seeing her sadness. It wasn't until that night that she laid her head down on her pillow and finally fell asleep. The tattered piece of paper fell to the floor as she released it in her sleep.

_I have to protect you. I will keep my promise. When all is said and done, I will return to you, Tifa._

End Chapter...

Wow, cliffhanger much. Don't ya love me? So, why don't you review and let me know how I am doing on this story. I am loving it and this is only the beginning. See ya soon.


	9. An Unforgettable Reminder

Wow, so only a few people reviewed. Huh, I thought I would get more of a rise out of you people when I wrote about Tifa having a child. Hmm, I guess you need more convincing huh? Well, read on and enjoy more drama from my lovely story.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters!**

**An Unforgettable Reminder**

Tifa woke up with a small boy shaking her shoulder and calling her over and over again. She opened her brown eyes to meet with blue ones. Gasping a little, she let her eyes focus to see Sora smiling brightly at her. For a brief moment, she thought that Cloud had come back. Cursing under her breath, she shook her head some, ashamed that everything her son did reminded her of his father. It caused her heart to break all over again as he looked like his father. Pressing her lips together, she smiled at him as she watched Sora climb up on the bed. He sat next to her and smiled. The five year old yawned some as he waited for his mother to wake up.

She stretched some, and then patted his head. "Ready for breakfast?" she asked, looking at him to see that bright smile as he rubbed his tummy.

"You bet!" he said, sliding off the bed and running to the door.

Tifa got out of bed and changed into her work clothes once again. Brushing her hair, she heard Sora's voice calling for her outside her room. Telling him she would be right there, she passed her dresser where she saw a picture of Cloud. A sad smile came to her face as she had placed it high above so that Sora couldn't get to it, as well as the Materia. That was the last thing that he needed, to learn how to cast magic.

The brown haired boy poked his head in. "Mom, come on." he said, hearing her laughter as she walked out with him by her side. Even though he sometimes caused her heart to think back to the man who had given her this wonderful boy, she never thought ill against the decision to keep Sora with her. She loved her son very much.

As she made her way into the kitchen, she looked at Sora and waited for him to announce that he wanted eggs and toast. It was his usual. She nodded and began to make breakfast for him while, Sora began to tidy up the bar. For after they ate, she would open up the bar, and he would go to his room and play with Marlene, who sometimes didn't like to. He sighed as he climbed up one of the chairs and waited for Tifa to place the plate of yummy food, as he called it, in front of him. He smiled brightly as took his fork and began to chow down.

Once he was done, he slide down with his empty plate in his hands and walked to the sink. His spiky hair was all that could be seen as he walked behind the bar. Tifa had unlocked the door, and some of her patrons had already started to come in. Marlene had just walked through the door when he set his plate in the sink. Sora greeted her with a big smile that was second only to Tifa's. With a sigh, he watched him bounce up to her and lead her away to his room.

Tifa smiled and looked around. Things were alright without him, she could manage. At least that was what she was telling herself. The truth was, she was failing at this whole managing her feelings. Once again, she kept them bottled up. Her journal was one of the few that knew about her emptiness. Her hands cleaned a section of the bar that no one was at. She shot her head up as she heard heavy boots. However, their owner wasn't the one that she was looking for. A silvered, short haired man sat down at the bar and looked her up and down. Feeling a bit agitated with the man already, she smiled and asked what he wanted to drink. The sooner he got his drink, the sooner he would leave. Right?

He only smiled in that ever so creepy way and placed a bag full of Gil on the counter. "Where is Cloud?" he asked, not even bothered by all of the other people staring at him. For no one uttered that name in front of her.

"Excuse me?" she asked, as her smile faded, and a serious look came over her. '_What on earth could this guy want with him?'_ Tifa asked herself as she felt her knuckles become strained as she was making fists under that counter.

"You heard me, I am looking for him."

"I haven't seen him in a long time. He doesn't come here any longer." she said, trying to keep her pounding heart from leaping from her chest.

"Well, if you see him. Tell him we are looking for Mother. He will know." he said, standing up and smiling again in that creepy manner. He leaned in close so that only she heard his last comment. "I would keep a close eye on that boy of yours, Miss. You never know when those closest to you are gone."

She glared at him, feeling the urge to 'escort' him out of her bar. "Is _that_ a threat?" she asked, between her teeth.

He only smiled and turned his back on her.

Tifa was about to punch the counter in front of her when she heard Marlene cry out. Her heart dropped as she felt as though something might have happened to Sora. She dashed to Sora's room, fear in her eyes that her last tie to Cloud might have gone. Her dark eyes opened the door where she saw something she hadn't expected to see. A smile came to her face as she stood there. _'Just like he was back then...oh Cloud, I wish you could be here to train him, to teach him.'_ she thought as she saw Sora looked at her and then get that look of being busted that his own father had not to long ago. For Marlene was looking at her arm that was frozen as well as part of her dress. The young girl looked confused and shocked.

"My arm, Sora. Look at my arm!" she cried, not knowing what to do.

"Marlene, what happened?" Tifa asked as she had a towel in her hands. She set the towel down and grabbed a potion. "Here drink this, it will help." she said softly, awaiting her to calm down a bit.

"Sora...he...he froze my arm!" she said, quite upset about this. Marlene drank the small vile of liquid and glared at Sora.

"Well, what did Sora do to freeze your arm like this?"

"He went to your room and climbed up on your dresser. He grabbed this bag full of Materia. I told him not to mess with it, but would he listen? Noooo!" she said, now rambling about it and obviously upset.

Tifa looked at Sora who was sad that everyone was mad at him. "Sora, why did you freeze her arm?" she asked, trying to hold in her laughter as she knew she needed to be stern with him.

"Well, we were playing freeze tag and your dresser was base. I saw the bag and wanted it, so I began to look at it. I grabbed one that looked cool. After that..I-I saw her, tagged her and called out freeze with it in my hand." he said, his face still not looking at either of them, but rather at the floor.

"May I see the one you were holding?" she asked, her voice soft as now she was almost sure of what happened. Sure enough, when he handed her the ball that was glowing some. That confirmed it. "Ahh." she said, shocked and rather proud of her son at the moment. "You cast your first magic, Sora. You know how to cast Ice." she said, smiling brightly at him.

"Magic? Ice?" he asked, looking confused.

"I will tell you later, when it's not so busy." she said, sighing as she stood up. "As for now...no playing with the Materia. Kay?" she asked, looking at him with that stern face. As soon as she saw him nod, she left. Marlene wasn't to happy about what had happened, but she ended up forgiving him. After all, he didn't know any better. He was only five, but Sora was a smart child. He caught on to things very quickly.

* * *

That night, as Tifa was writing her thoughts in her journal, she heard a soft knock on her door. After hearing a small voice call out mother, she smiled and placed the book away in a drawer. She let him know that he could come in as she turned to greet her baby boy. He closed the door and walked to her. She smiled sadly as she saw so much of Cloud in him. So much that it hurt at times. He stood before her and looked at her with those blue eyes that were so much like his. Even his eyes held that glow, not as much as his father, but it was there. It was faint, but it was shining none-the-less.

"Mom, can you teach me how to use magic. Uncle Barret said that you know how."

She smiled sadly. "Sure. I shall teach you tomorrow." she said, patting his head. Her hands running through his soft hair.

"Mom, your are gonna mess up my spikes." he said, trying to fix his hair.

Tifa could only laugh as she looked at him. A nod came form her as she stood up and made her way to her bed. She was followed by the small child who climbed in bed with her and let out sigh. "What is it, Sora?" she asked, looking at him.

"Well, I saw this picture today. It was by the bag of that shiny mat-mater, well you know." he said, stumbling over the word Materia. "It was a picture of someone who looked like me. Who is that?" he asked, looking up at Tifa with inquisitive eyes.

She felt her heart stop as she closed her eyes to hide the pain. Tifa knew this day would come, but she hadn't expected it to be this soon. A sigh came from her before she opened her eyes. "That man is you father, Sora." she said, unable to find anything else to say about him. What could she say? He hadn't been around long enough to watch his own son grow. Tifa was beginning to think that he didn't care about them at all. It nearly broke her heart to think that.

"Father? Well, where did he go?"

She pressed her lips together as she was trying not to cry or feel the pain of Cloud leaving her here all alone. "He went to save the world, I suppose." she said, trying to tell herself that. For that could be the only reason right? Maybe Sephiroth had returned and he needed closure, so he went off to defeat him by himself. Another sigh came from her. "Honestly, Sora I really don't know. But he said he would come back. He made a promise."

"You love him a lot, huh?"

She blushed as her dark eyes snapped open. How could such a young child understand that she still loved him very much? It must be the innocence of a child. She smiled warmly for the first time that night. That sparkle that had left over a year ago shined for a brief moment. "Yes, very much. He is always and shall forever remain in my heart. I can't love anyone else that much ever." she said, a hand on her heart as she felt it skip a beat.

"He will come back, Mom. Because you love him." he said, before leaning up to give her a goodnight kiss.

Tifa watched her son leave and go to his room. His words hit home as she never realized that her five year old son had more sense then she did. His understanding was unbelievable. Of course, he would come. He always would, because he loved her too. Had Cloud not said so himself? She snuggled in the covers and smiled as she looked at the ceiling. '_Cloud, come home soon. I miss you terribly. I am scared...scared of losing Sora and you. Scary things have been happening lately, and I wish you would return to me. Cloud, it hurts not having you here.'_

Chapter End...

Wow, that is really sad. Hope you guys like it. Oh yes, I told you drama would happen and now it has. Please review and tell me how much ya like or hate it, lol. I shall have the next chapter up when homework isn't to bad. See ya soon.


	10. Wounds Of The Heart

I know I know, I haven't been updating this as much as I should, but hey college isn't being nice to me this semester. So, this story has been cut back to weekends. Not to worry, I am writing another chapter now. Thanks for all of the reviews though. It makes me actually want to sit down and suffer through another chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy or any of its characters!**

**Wounds Of The Heart**

Early the next morning, Tifa woke up and yawned. It had been a long night as she had many nightmares. She had tossed and turned so much that her covers were all messed up. Sighing, she wiggled out of them and grabbed her clothes to change into. Her brown eyes held some sadness as some of the moments in her nightmare flashed before her. It seemed that she would never be able to get her mind off of losing both of the boys that she loved so much. Shaking her head, she changed and looked in the mirror. A small smile came to her face as she imagined Cloud walking through her door and smiling as he wrapped his arms around her. The smile grew as she remembered her son's words. '_He will come back because you love him.'_ Such strong and yet, true words. Cloud would eventually come back. He always did. The pain in her heart seemed to be relieved for the moment as she laughed some. Her five year old son was smarter then her at times.

As she came out of her dream state, she heard struggling going on. Frowning, she snapped her head to the door and quickly ran to it. Opening it up quickly, she saw another silvered haired man pulling her son down the hall. "Stop!" she called, not even thinking to grab her Materia. She ran down the hall, only to skid to a halt as another silvered hair man stepped in front of her. Her eyes widened as he drew a sword. Tifa took a few steps back. "Give him back." she said, her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

"Tell us where Cloud is." the one with the long silver hair said.

"I don't know where he is. He left a long time ago. Hand over the child." she said, warning in her voice.

"I can't do that. I need to know where Cloud is."

She sighed as she couldn't get through to them. Looking up, she smirked. "You will just have to fight me then." she said, standing in a fighting stance. True, she hadn't fought in a few years, but that knowledge came flooding back as she ducked around the sword being swung at her. A smile came to her face as she could let out her aggression on this poor soul. A right jab came from her, followed by a left one. Over and over, she punched, trying to defeat him so that she could get Sora. It wasn't until she heard his tiny voice calling for him that she looked up for a brief second, only to see that he was being dragged out of the bar now. Her eyes widened as she ducked once again at the sword coming at her.

The silvered haired man smirked as he backed out of the bar slowly, still blocking her moves as best as he could. He could see that her anger was taking its toll now as she was franticly trying to get the boy back. "Bring Cloud and you may have the boy." he said, before vanishing out the door and to the bikes.

That didn't leave her much time, but the dark haired woman ran to her room and grabbed her Materia. With that she left the bar and ran after the bikes that had a great distance on her. Tears were filling her eyes as she realized that there was no she would be able to catch up with them. "Sora! Sora!" she called as she slowly stopped running. "Sora...no you can't leave me either." she said, cupping her face in her hands and crying. For now not only had she lost her love, but now her son as well. Things were turning from bad to worse. She couldn't seem to get a break.

To busy sulking over the events that just occurred and realizing that she couldn't get him back without Cloud, she sunk even lower. Tifa couldn't hear the bike coming from behind her until it was right up on her. She swung around, her fists ready to fight again. Although her eyes were full of tears so that everything was blurry, she still was going to fight, to regain what little family she had left. Through her tears she could see a man, and she gulped as she ready swing on him. However, her eyes didn't take in that there was no boy with this man. She continued to weep some as she stood there.

The man looked at her with a straight face, no emotion could be seen. He watched her actions for a while, and then sighed. "Need a lift?" he asked, pulling his glasses up to reveal bright blue eyes. He saw that expression on her face and looked away to the horizon.

Tifa gulped as she wiped her tears away and looked at him. A gasp came over her before her eyes widened. No, this was all a dream. He couldn't be right here. A small nod came from her as she watched him. However, he had changed. This had to be a dream. She didn't remember him being like this before, and then it hit her like a ton of bricks. He had been out on his own again, alone. He had reverted back to his old self. A sigh came from her as she didn't say anything. Tifa merely got on the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around him. She made sure that it wasn't to tight, like she normally would have. For something else was on his mind and she didn't want to make things worse, but smiling and saying how happy she was that he was back. For all, she knew he had no intension of running into her today.

The silent one rode on, although his cheeks were slightly pink as he realized that she was behind him. His heart was trying to do flips, but he wouldn't let it. He couldn't afford to give her that hope of him returning. Not until he finished what he had set out to do. "Where are you headed?" he asked, trying to mask his happiness that he was glad she was safe.

She smiled some as she remembered what is was like to be near him. Hearing him speak like he used to made the smile falter some. "To where those silver haired men are." she said, remembering that they had Sora. Her heart hurt as she recalled his voice calling for her to help him.

The blue eyed man looked back slightly. "Silver haired men?"

"They have my son." she said, sadly.

His hands gripped the bars of the bike tighter as he now how more on incentive to take those men down. They were already causing her pain by making him leave her alone, and now they took her son. "We will get him back." he said, looking ahead as he saw the bike trails and a smirk came to his face.

She smiled some as she nodded. '_Hold on, Sora. Mama's coming.'_

Meanwhile, Sora was tied to a chair while the three were examining him. He frowned as he looked at them. They asked him questions about his father, but he couldn't answer them. Even if he could, he wouldn't. "When my mom gets here, you guys are going to be in trouble." he said, sticking out his tongue.

One of the men growled. He was the tallest of the three. His hair was the shortest as well. As soon as the boy stuck his tongue out, he backhanded him. "Show some respect."

"Loz.." the one with hair to his shoulders said, trying not to damage the child to much.

"Heh, is that all you got? My mom hits me harder then that." Sora snickered. However on the inside, he was worried that his mother wouldn't get here. He was scared that she wouldn't be able to find him.

Loz looked at him. "Kadaj, he looks just like him. You don't suppose..." he said, trailing off.

The one called Kadaj looked at Sora again and studied his face, then his eyes. "Those eyes, yes, they are like brothers." he said, with a twisted smirk on his face. A evil light laugh came from him as he turned his back on the small boy who was glaring at him.

Chapter End...

Dun Dun Dun, lol. Yeah, its surprising how fast I can write a chapter when I really want to. Welp, I hope that you like this as much as I do. I really love Sora. Poor thing. Although this is just the beginning of the drama. Stay tuned for more. See ya soon, and don't forget to review!


	11. To Gain Only To Lose

So, how are you liking the story? Lots of drama huh? Well, it's about to get worse. I am happy with all of the reviews that I am getting thanks a lot! It makes my day to see those. Well, enough of my raving, on with the fic.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN Final Fantasy or any of its characters!**

**To Gain Only To Lose**

The small boy slept in the locked room. Loz was guarding the door as the child slept through the night. The silver haired man wasn't to happy about watching the feisty child. He rolled his eyes as Sora had done nothing but yak away at how great his mother was. Finally the little one had dozed off, and there was nothing but silence now. A sigh came from him as he rested his head on the stone next to the door. How long were they going to keep this child? Tifa was sure to find them, and she wouldn't be to happy about this. Although, he was certain that she would be no match for them. There was just something about her that he didn't like. He turned his head slightly as he heard movement coming from the room behind him. His eyes peered in to see Sora tossing and turning. A evil smirk came to his face as he ignored the boy's cries for his mother. He turned his head away and looked down the empty hall.

Now poor little Sora was whimpering in his sleep about losing his mother and never seeing her again. Quite sad, but he still slept. No one would come to his aid. The small boy curled into a tighter ball and let out a soft cry as a tear fell to the cold stone floor. His cries and nightmares wouldn't been cured until his mother was there to comfort him. True, the young boy was much like his father, but there were some things that he needed. Love, attention, things that Tifa needed as well as Cloud.

As the night went on, the two on the bike were silent. Each one scared of speaking for fear of saying something that might cause an argument. A sigh came from the dark haired woman who hadn't had any sleep or for that matter rest since those men had kidnapped her son. It scared her at how much she couldn't afford to lose anymore people that she was close to. For her family was now far away from her. She opened her mouth to ask how much farther, but Tifa decided it would be best not to say anything to him. Cloud had that cold face of no emotion as he drove along heading towards a distant building.

Once there, he shut off the bike and looked up at what used to be a Shinra building. It was old and looked to be run down. He let out a sigh and got off. He began to walk forward but something stopped him. He couldn't move on just yet. He turned his head to see the dark haired woman getting off slowly. Not a word escaped him as he looked forward again. Inside his mind was screaming at him to help her, but he just couldn't give her the hope that he would be coming back soon. "We need to get inside before we get attacked. You never know when monsters might show." he said, walking some again to the door.

Tifa smiled as she straightened her gloves. "Now, I think we can handle a couple of monsters..." she said, placing a hand on her hip. She refrained from saying his name as she thought he might glare at her. After all, she was sure that he hadn't planned on this meeting. She sighed and followed him up to the door. The younger woman looked up at the tall building and gulped. Reading the words Shinra didn't make her feel any safer by entering either.

"Come on." Cloud said, holding the door for her. His glowing blue eyes seemed a bit more narrow as he waited for her to enter. He moved along as she followed silently behind him. The blonde knew how Tifa felt about Shinra. They had destroyed her family and well, he wouldn't consider himself part of her family after he had just deserted her like that. He ran a gloved hand though his hair in frustration as he couldn't just turn around and wrap his arms around her, to tell her that everything would be fine and that they would get the boy back. He frowned as he remembered the small baby. He shook his head some as he pushed the thought of her having a son to the back of his mind. He would ask her later, if he ever got the chance. As he looked up again, he noticed that the lights were working in this place. His brow still stayed wrinkled as he looked around him. "It seems that someone else is here." he said, stopping and taking a quick glance to Tifa who had stopped as well.

"Someone else?" she asked, holding her hands together. "Like..." Her eyes widened as she ran past him and down the hall until it split.

"Wait!" he called out, not wanting to be loud for it might attract attention to whoever was here. Cloud quickly followed her to see her stopped in fighting stance at the crossway. He sighed as he slowed to a walk. His mako-blue eyes widened as he saw who she was about to fight. "No..let me handle it."

Tifa clenched her fists as she took a cautious step towards the person that she was about to fight. "No, he took something from me, and I am getting him back. I am getting Sora back!" she said, starting to run at the man who seemed to have been guarding a door before Tifa had been seen.

The blonde watched her as she fought her heart out trying to get back what little family she had left. His blue eyes watched as the horror of losing her was becoming unbearable. He clenched his fists as he told himself he couldn't get involved, but this was happening all over again. His nightmare was becoming real, and he couldn't stand it. He drew his sword and ran down the hallway but was stopped by another silver haired man. "Out of my way!"

"Ahh, it seems that she did her part. Loz, release the boy. Our lovely Tifa has brought, Brother here."

Loz grunted and nodded before backing up to unlock the door. He smiled evilly as he watched Tifa rush in to see Sora sleeping on the ground. "Foolish woman!" he said, laughing some before slamming the door and turning to help his brother. "Hang on, Yazoo." he said, coming from behind the one called Yazoo.

Cloud glared at the two. "You won't get away with this you two. Give them back." he said, fighting off Yazoo with his sword. He shining blue eyes were now full of hate as they had messed with the wrong girl.

Tifa gathered Sora in her arms and didn't even bother to hold back tears. Even though it had only been a few days, it was the worst few days of her life. She didn't care if the doors were locked; the dark haired woman was with her son. She pulled him close as she whispered his name over and over again. It almost seemed as though this was a nightmare, and she would wake up next to him in her warm bed. Her tears fell over her cheeks and hit Sora's face causing him to wake up. His blue eyes looked up to see Tifa. Almost immediately did he tackle his mother with a death squeezing hug. "Yes, I am back. I am here, Sora."

"Oh mother! We have to get out of here. It's scary and they won't stop talking about my dad. It's weird. They say I have his eyes. I don't know what they are talking about, Mom. I am scared." he said, his voice held fear as he looked at her.

"Don't worry, we are leaving." she said, standing and taking his hand. Tifa walked around the walls, looking deep in thought. Sora thought that she had gone mad when she went back to the center of the room and smirked. She cracked her knuckles and ran to the door. With one swift motion, she let her right leg kick the door causing the lock to break off. "Ha!" she said, setting her leg down and looking at Sora who appeared to be staring at her with shock. "Come on, dear. We are getting out of here." she said, ushering him to come with her.

He took a few steps towards her before stopping and smiling. "Mom?" he asked, his blue eyes looking up at her. "You are awesome!" he said, running up to her. "I knew that you were really strong!" he said, taking her hand and let her lead him down hall after all, until she came to another door which read exit.

"Alright, Sora. Stay close to me." she said, kicking the door open to reveal the outside. A smile of relief came to her face as she rushed through it. "Come on, we have a long journey." she said, walking quickly with Sora running at her feet. Tifa lead him away from the abandoned Shinra building and to Kalm Town. She couldn't afford to go back home yet. Nor could she risk the chance of going with Cloud. Her emotions would definitely get the best of her. Leading Sora into town, she found the inn and paid for a night. They were going to leave in the morning. "Sleep well, my son." she said, kissing his forehead as she tucked him into bed.

"But Mom, I don't wanna sleep by myself." he said, those blue eyes that were just like his father's caused her to cave.

"Alright, come here." she said, smiling softly as she climbed into bed with him right behind her.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"To visit some old friends of mine."

Meanwhile, Cloud was fighting both Loz and Yazoo. His eyes were narrow and his sword was swinging with such anger. He couldn't afford for these men to make his nightmare a reality. The blonde would protect his love at all cost. After all, he did make a promise to always protect her, to be her hero. "I will not tell you where Mother is. I don't know, nor do I care." he said, nearly growling at them.

Yazoo frowned. "You will help us or those two in that room will be tortured. You won't be able to see them, unless you help us, _brother_."

He pushed him away. "I am not your pawn to help with some psychotic plan!" he exclaimed, swinging his sword only to be blocked, and then Loz punched him. That force sent him flying down the hall. He grunted before his began to lose consciousness. "Tifa..." he muttered as he blinked some to stay awake. His hearing being distorted as his eyes saw nothing but black. Then there was nothing but silence. The last image he saw was his love smiling.

End chapter...

Well, that was pretty hard. But yay! You another chapter to read and review! I hope that you are liking the twists. Oh just you wait, there is more. See ya soon!


	12. Long Journey, Past Unfolded

Hello there all. I guess it's time to update this fic huh? Its been a while. Well, I hope that everyone is enjoying my spin on Cloud and Tifa. Drama and suspense make for the best stories. But anyhoo. I am happy with all the reviews that this story is getting. It seems that a lot of people like it. Yay! So, I shall keep you happy and write another chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN any of Final Fantasy or any of its characters!**

**Long Journey, Past Unfolded**

Small hands shook Tifa's body as the sun shone through the window at the Inn. His bright blue eyes were wide open as he was back to his normal self. Of course he would be, the young boy was with his mother once again. His voice called her over and over again. His hand pulled back her covers as he ran to the other side of the bed to face her. Pressing his lips together, he waited for her brown eyes to flutter open. Somehow Sora loved how she looked when she first woke up to see his eyes. Her face was shocked, and then she would shake her head while smiling softly. "Mom...come on. It's time for breakfast." he said, shaking her again as his eyes lit up when she opened her eyes slowly. "And, and I am hungry!"

The brown haired woman smiled as she heard her son's voice fill the room with excitement. Sitting up, she saw him looking at her with those bright blue eyes. A ping of pain shot through her heart as she realized that she had left Cloud back at that strange place. Pressing her lips together again, she wondered if he was alright. Of course, he would make it through. It was Cloud. He always came back to her, no matter what. With a nod to herself, she looked back at Sora. "Well, how about we get something to eat and get out of here." she suggested to the small child. Laughter escaped her as she watched him nod his head frantically. "Well, get your things together." she said, looking at the few pieces of Materia that she had close to her that were supposed to be for him.

"Alright. I am ready." the young boy said, smiling brightly at his mother.

Tifa smiled as she finished gathering her things together and held out her hand. "Let's get going." she said, as her eyes held unconditional love for her son as she walked along. His soft hand seemed to hold on tightly to her as she grasped his hand as if she let go, he would disappear.

"So, what are we having for breakfast?" Sora asked as they walked down the street to the small cafe.

"Mm, whatever you want. I have some extra money for this trip."

"Really? So I can have noodles?"

A sad smile came to her face as she thought of Cloud, and how he would always order them when he came to her bar. "Yeah." she said, as she looked through the clear glass on the door before opening it. "Well, come on." she said, trying to sound happy. In all reality, Tifa was fading again. Just seeing Cloud again had put her into a melancholy state. A heavy sigh escaped as she sat down across from her son.

After they had ordered and had been eating for about 10 minutes, the small boy started to think. So many questions went through his head as he ate his noodles. Finally, he looked up at Tifa as he was chewing and waited until he didn't have a mouthful for he knew that his mother would scold him. "Mom? Where are we going?"

"I told you. We are going to see some of my friends."

"Yeah, but where are your friends besides Uncle Barret?"

"All over the world, but you will meet most of them."

"So, where to first?"

"My my, we are full of questions this morning." she said, smiling as she placed her fork down. Taking a sip of her coffee, she looked at his inquisitive eyes. Setting the cup down, she cleared her throat. "I haven't decided yet. I don't know who to see first. So at the moment, we are kind of wondering."

"Mom, that isn't a good plan."

"Well, do you suggest a better one?"

He looked down. "Well...it's stupid. You wouldn't do it."

"How can you be so sure? You will never know until you ask."

"I want to find my dad."

Those words hit her like a knife, a rather cold one. She knew that this would happen one day, but Tifa thought that it would be later on his her son's life. A sigh came from her as she remembered the brief closeness that she had with Cloud yesterday. It made her feel almost whole again. Oh why did Sora have to bring this up now?

"See. I told you that it was stupid."

"No Sora, its just that...Well, your father made a promise to protect us, and he isn't coming back until he thinks that he fulfilled that."

"But how can he protect us if he isn't here?"

"I have asked myself the same thing, dear. But he is good with promises, trust me." she said, smiling some.

Sora nodded. "I just wish that he would come back so that you wouldn't be so sad, Mom."

Tifa smiled. "He will, now let's see about getting to the Chocobo Farm." she said, trying to get his mind off his father for a moment. The brunette didn't know how much longer she could keep smiling when her heart hurt so much.

The child's eyes lit up as he heard that. For Sora had always wanted to see a chocobo in real life. He had seen them on TV and asked his mother if she had one. The only response was a smile before she went back to work. "Wow, Mom! You actually have one!" he said, smiling brightly.

The brown haired woman tucked some of her dark hair behind an ear as her eyes watched him jumping around like a child at Christmas. A smile grew as she walked along, holding out her hand. It had been a while since she had seen pure happiness from Sora. A sigh came from her as she walked along. "Come on now." she said, as she was watching him as he was still jumping around like a maniac.

"So, are they really as big as Uncle Barret says they are? Do you really have a golden one? Is it really shiny?" he asked, before almost tripping over a hole in the ground.

"Careful, Sora." she said, holding out her arms to catch him. "What has Uncle Barret been telling you now?" she asked, having a feeling that he told her son to many bad things about a certain man, but she brushed that aside as she waited for him to tell what he had heard.

"Well, he said that you and some guy have a golden one, and its really pretty. So, are they really big?"

"Mm, well they would be big in your eyes." she said, looking down at him as she placed her hands on her knees. "But they are very nice. Your Uncle Barret was right, me and your father have a golden one. Your father worked really hard to get one."

"Uncle Barret says that Dad wasn't a good guy."

"Well, your father and Barret didn't get along to well."

"Oh? How come?"

"Well, lets just say that Barret believed that he should have been the leader on our travels."

"Travels? Oh because you and your friends went out all over the world and did stuff right?"

Tifa sighed. "I think it's about time that you know the whole story."

Sora looked up at her and showed a big smile. His bright blue eyes seemed to almost shine as he loved hearing about his mother's travels.

Her dark eyes looked ahead as she walked. "Well, you know that before you were born there was a corporation known as Shinra. Well, it was evil and so me, Barret and a few others decided to go against them. We called ourselves AVALANCHE. After a while, your father showed up, and I convinced him to join. It wasn't long after that we appointed him our leader. Your Uncle Barret wasn't to happy about that. Well, it seemed that after we blew up a couple of reactors, more things were revealed. So, we ended up following this Shinra group for a while. They were looking for a land known as the Promise Land that only the Ancients could find. Well, it turns out that one of our friends was one. Aeris was a nice person, had a kind heart. But an evil man known as Sephiroth-"

"Oh my gosh! Mom! You knew Sephiroth!" Sora's eyes were as big as saucers.

"No. Kinda...actually, I met him once. Before he went crazy."

"He went crazy!"

"Sora, there are some things that I can't explain to you right now. You wouldn't be able to understand, but yes he went crazy, and your father saved us all from something horrible. Sephiroth wanted to find the Promise Land as well, but he figured out how he could find it quickly, summon a meteor and blow up the planet."

"Wow! How did you guys stop it!"

"With the help of Aeris. Before she died, she summoned Holy to protect us all."

"She died?"

"Yeah, Sephiroth killed her."

"Well, that wasn't very nice."

"No, it wasn't, but he did. But there were many people who avenged her death, myself included."

"So, how did Dad save the world? It seemed that Miss Aeris did a whole lot."

"You father did his fair share. He went through a lot back then, but he was the one who killed Sephiroth with a powerful attack. I will never forget watching it. It was something that I shall probably never see again in my life. Our friends helped as we were the very few who stood up against him. But your father, even back then still helped us all. I remember him getting hit. It was my job to heal everyone."

"Wow, I bet it was great to watch. My parents are awesome!"

Tifa smiled warmly as she heard that, wishing that Cloud could see the enthusiasm on his son's face. If only he could hear his words. The woman looked up at the clear sky. As they walked along, her thoughts were full of what it would be like to have a family, a family that would be together. Her dark eyes looked to her son as he shook her arm. He pointed at the Chocobo ranch with a bright smile. She returned it and nodded. Yes, their journey was only beginning now. Soon they would be going to Condor for the night before heading to Junon. With a sigh, she lead him along past the fenced in area with some chocobos. "Come along, Sora."

End Chapter...

Well, how do you like it? Pretty good huh? Please review! I would love it if you did. Let's me know how much you love this story. See ya soon.


End file.
